This is me three months pregnant at 23 with my first. As you can see I started out my pregnancy overweight–at 5’4 and 223 lbs. The next picture is one of me at sixth months or so pregnant. I’m now 38 weeks pregnant, tons of stretch marks, and I weigh a whopping 263 lbs. I tried really hard not to gain weight, but it has just kept coming on! The most frustrating part is that you don’t feel “cute” and pregnant when you are overweight. I saw some pictures from my baby shower the other day and feel so ashamed for all the weight I’ve gained. I’ll send postpartum and hopefully a great weight loss story when I finally have my little guy.
Thank you for posting these pics… I was beginning to feel as though I was the first overweight woman to get pregnant… you have really made me feel so wonderfully normal!
love and blessings
I agree with the other women on here; your beautiful and you should be very happy that you’ll be able to carry your baby to full term… I wasn’t so lucky, I was 20 years old when I got pregnant but I miscarried and lost my baby. It would have been born this month in November… There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my unborn baby… I never had the chance to hold it or tell it I loved it..
Just because you gain a little weight doesn’t mean your ugly or none of that non sense; every one is beautiful in their own way and pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Be thankful you’ll get the chance to hold your baby and see it grow up; I know there’s some women out there who never get to experience pregnancy for whatever reason(s) and they wish they could be in your shoes :).
Thank you for your pictures! I was starting to feel kind of alone in my situation of being overweight and pregnant.
I’m very thankful that you put your pictures up. I was down and out about my weight and kept telling myself something had to be done. However, I found out I was pregnant, and I’m all kinds of ecstatic, esp after suffering a miscarriage earlier this year. Weight has always been an issue for me, and I’m thankful for this site. It makes me feel better about my shape, and the change my little one is going to cause within the few months.
God has blessed us with the gift of giving life to another. Off of that alone, we as women can do anything.
Thanks for sharing, and good luck with all your pregnancies/new babies
I’m so relieved to hear someone else’s story. I am overweight and don’t look like the cute little pregnant girl with the basketball belly. I also am having difficulty even though I’m 6.5 months along and people can’t even really tell especially because I am big chested as well.
hey i am 21 with first baby on the way i am 16 weeks and overweight i am 5’7 and 275 now i hold my weight very well but also dont feel like im going to look cute i already have stretch marks on my tummy now the back of one of my legs they are coming in i cant handle that!!
i think your beautiful bigger, women are beautiful…not saying that thin women aren’t but i don’t find them healthy looking.
i’m 18 and weigh 250 (last time i weighed myself) i think i might be pregnant but i’m to scared to take the test…..i want kids but all my friends have been telling me i shouldn’t, i know i’m young…but i don’t feel like i can try to anyone close to me because of how they feel….if i am pregnant i’m keeping it….. i just feel alone
thank you for making this site…i needed a place to tell someone…
I have read most of these posts,and I have to say to all of you that just embrace yourself the way you are. I am 5’2″ and 230lbs. I have just found out that I am prego with # 4. With #1 I was only 190, and I still didn’t show until about 6-7 months. This is really because your uterus has never had to stretch that far before. The more babies you have, the faster you’ll show. Not that I am encouraging you to have more just to show, but just an fyi.
I know that it is discouraging not to look “cute”, but honestly, I think that the women who are already thin, worry so much about being “fat” that it can put their babies in jeopardy. And while there are health issues specific to overweight pregnant women, don’t assume you will have them. I never have had any issues, and all my babies have been healthy. Good luck to you all, and God Bless!
OH, and another thing. I would much rather have stretch marks than hemorrhoids!!! I got the stretch marks, but all my skinny friends got the hemorrhoids! And that is the truth!
WOW !! and I felt like I was all alone …. I am 5’3 ( in sept i was 285 lbs) current weight is 311… I have been having prego symptoms now for a few months but all the test keep saying negative…my belly has rounded out and I look prego …but if I am I would be starting my 16th or 17th week …how I know is the last time i had unprotected sex was the 1st 2 weeks of sept…no period in sept…light 2 day one the last 2 days of oct.. and none since.. I did go to a doc last week but she did a urine test and said I wasnt prego cause the test was neg. she wouldnt even examine me and couldnt tell me why I was rounding out or feeling movement…she said I was overweight and I probably had a hernia and walked out….now I am very nervous about trying to find another doc…for fear the same thing will happen… guess time will tell !
Thank you so much for posting this. I am currently 12w3d. I weighted 217lb, and am 5’4″ at the start. Now, somehow I am at 208lb. The doctors aren’t concerned at all right now, but they want me to gain 15-20lbs. Over the last year I have seen so many skinny pregnant women, co-workers and family, I wasn’t sure what I was going to look like and have been sad because I want that cute pregnant belly. Your pictures have given me hope. Thank you!
Hey, I just wanted to say that your body is beautiful! I too, am in the same boat. 25, 5’6″, and 211 to start, now 215 (I’m only 11 weeks, 1 day so far). I am so glad I saw this site! I was afraid of how I looked because everyone else’s baby belly looks so different because they’re skinny. Thanks for relieving some fears!!
I just wanted to drop in say that you are such a strong woman for posting your pics online for the world to see. I would never be able to do that! I’am 23yrs. old and pregnant with my 1st baby. I tried to concieve for 22 months and then finally in July of 2009 we got PREGNANT! I never thought that at 5’7 and 320lbs I could get pregnant. Then when I felt like nothing could possibly take me off cloud nine I realized that people did not notice that I was pregnant. I just looked like I was getting fatter and fatter. I’ am now 6 months pregnant and weigh 327lbs. So I have only gained 7 pounds!!! not to bad. But only the people who know me know im pregnant! I have felt so horrible and have been so hard on myself. Then I came across this site and read all of the stories from women just like me. I know now that I am not the only one! I know I need to pick myslef back up and know that I am pregnant wether or not im 120lbs or 320lbs. I hope that this site and these stories will find and help other women just like us! Thank you for PICS and sharing your story.
I have to tell you, that you are quite an inspiration for even posting these pics. You are far more brave then i am LOL..i could of never done this. But i know how you are feeling. Im 24 and before i got pregnant weighed about 295 and stand at about 5’9. And have gained between 15 and 25 lbs. Im due March 20th and so far so good she is nice and healthy. All i wanted was to be skinny and have the big belly come with it. But because of this i found out that i am not alone. And i love it. Good luck with your baby.
Thank you for posting your pics – you are beautiful! But I think I take the cake (literally, haha) for biggest pregnant person – I am on baby #3, and have gained 46lbs at 32 weeks putting me at 345 – YIKES! It’s scary b/c I gain avg. 80lbs with each pregnancy, so I kinda knew I would get ultra-huge with this baby (started at 299, 5’11”) I have a great doctor and am not considered high-risk as both my previous deliveries have gone really well (and easy!) and my babies weigh 10lbs! Losing the weight afterward is a challenge that I’m actually looking foward to, but the beautiful baby is worth all the weight gain!
Also, maternity wear advice – get a wrap dress – soft, stretchy jersey cotton! Pair it with yoga pants from American Eagle (size XXL – long lengths for taller women!) You can wear it the whole time, and the wrap-tie above your belly really accentuates the baby bump!
I am totally in the same boat as you, Im 24 5 weeks preg with my second and starting out at 230 lbs and 5′ 4″ tall. So I totally understand how you feel, especially since my brother-in-laws girl just had a baby 2 weeks ago and she was the skinny,cute, blonde with a basketball belly. It sucks cus I know Im not going to be posting pics of my belly and Im worried people wont even know Im pregnant, theyll just think Im gaining more weight. But Ive been trying for 4 1/5 years to get prego and I plan on enjoying this fully! But thank you for posting those pics, its good to know that we can be thick but still have a cute baby bump!
I currently weigh 190 pounds and I am 5’5″. I started weight watchers 2 months ago and lost 15 pounds. My husband and I just decided we should have a baby but the more I read the more scared I get about having a baby. According to the BMI calculator I am obese which would put me at risk for all of the scary medical problems. After hearing some of your stories I am afraid I will have a horrible pregnancy because the doctors will be mean and I won’t have a baby bump. Can anyone give me any hopeful information?
i’m so proud of you! i am 27 years old n 16 weeks pregnant with my first child. i’ve been on birth control since i was 17 n always thought to wait til i was married to have kids. all my friends and cousin started having kids at young ages. i’m 5’7 and at the start of my pregnancy was 240 but when i found out bout our baby i stopped eating fast food n stocked our home with fresh fruits n veggies. cooking lean meats, baking n boiling instead of frying them n eating steamed food. i dropped 20 lbs jes like that. also im doing prenatal yoga n power walking 30 minutes to a hour 4 days a week n going for bike rides on the wknd. I used to drink 3 or 4 days heavily a week and was a pack a week smoker. but our baby completely changed me. i quit it all and i feel and look great. my skin is amazing n all clear. i dont have a double chin anymore. i can feel the beginning of my baby bump and that is amazing to me! im so glad to see your pictures up n all the support of other mothers is great. i admire all of you for sharing your stories n encouragement.
Thank you for posting this. It really helps.
Honey, you have my body. It’s seriously like looking at a pic of myself. I’m about the same weight as what you started out with, and the fact that you got pregnant at that weight makes me so happy. Also, from what I can see, your body was so cute during pregnancy. I hope that when I finally get pregnant (we’ve been trying for almost 2 years) that I look as cute as you.
I AM 24 YRS AND I WEIGH 286 POUNDS. ME AND MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET PREGNANT FOR 4YEARS AND NOTHING IS WORKING. MY DOCTOR HAS PUT ME ON A DIET WHICH I’M TAKING SERIOUSLY. I CRY EVERYDAY CAUSE I FEEL GUILTY ABOUT NOT HAVING A CHILD FOR MY HUSBAND. AND I LIVE IN THE FEAR THAT I WONT BE ABLE TO. I NEED HELP SO PLEASE IF THERE ARE ANY SUGGESTIONS I’M WILLING TO TRY IT. I’M VERY SCARED SO SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME. I’M PLEADING PLEASE.
I’m so glad someone had enough balls to stand up for the big & pregnant! it makes me happy cause @ the start of me finding out i was pregnant i was sitting @ 280 pounds here i am 14 weeks later i haven’t weighed myself but i am worried… I’m scared that my weight is going to affect my pregnancy.. I heard a lot of horror stories, and the lady i see she’s a midwife doesn’t make me feel good that i’m overweight and pregnant yet she’s overweight herself! i feel judged when i go for a check up w/my midwife! I dont know any bigger pregnant women so its making me feel really insecure.. I could use support in knowing that I will be okay and have a healthy baby..
my email is stachia1111@gmail.com
God bless & To all the woman that are pregnant I wish you all the best of health and blessings your way.
I really appreciate that you posted these photos. i am a big girl and 16 weeks along. It was so nice to have these as a comparison. I hope you have a beautiful life and children!!
i feel alot better since looking at this i ws starting to feel so ashamed of myself bc i started out overweight. i used to weigh near 225, then got myself down to 210 and everyone was telling me how much weight i had lost, and i was feeling so happy that i had gotten control over my weight and was starting to feel better about myself… well then i found out i was pregnant, and that im high risk so i cant do the book approved pregnancy exercises bc of my heart [i had heart surgery when i was born] im 7 months now and a little past 240!! i get so upset looking in the mirror bc i dont see a beautiful pregnant girl. i see a cow. my boyfriend always tells me, “you dont look fat, you look pregnant” but he is in afghanistan so all he sees are the pictures i take for him each week. im nervous bc his leave is scheduled for around the exact time as the baby’s due date. when he left i was 4 months and hadnt gained much weight at all…. next time he sees me in person ill be 9 months and well ive already gained 30 lbs so whatever a gain in these next 2 months. it makes me feel a little better to kno that im not alone alone tho. i think every other woman that is pregnant [big or small] is beautiful. i jus cant feel that way about myself for some reason. thank you so much for posting this i kno that i never could have done it. i find you to be brave and strong, and yes beautiful :]
You look wonderful, I am so glad that you showed off your body it gives me insperation that I to can show mine! Thanks again!!
Hello there. It was nice to see this. I am 5ft 7 and 244 and 17 weeks pregnant. Before I got pregnant I was at my highest weight of 257 or 258 so I have actually lost some weight. Probably due having gestational diabetes and can’t eat any of the good stuff…lol But I feel the same as you….wishing I was “cute” like other smaller preggy ladies. But it is what it is…lol Just enjoy the experience and look forward to that little one :) ALL the best to you :)
I do have say your very brave to put up those pictures..I couldn’t never..im 6 months and don’t even look it..I see these women that have this beautiful belly and I dnt have it and it hurts..yes ppl can see the rounding of my tummy and notice a difference but idnt.. And I thought I was alone..im glad to see im not..ur beautiful and so is that baby bump..
It was so wonderful coming across this site! I am currently 8 weeks pregnant with my first child. I am 30, 5’4, and weigh about 265. Your pictures are beautiful, and it makes me realize that I will be a beautiful, glowing pregnant woman as well! I have other issues to deal with in the struggle to lose weight. I have PCOS, Type 1 Diabetes, and an underactive thyroid. I’ve realized the most important thing I can do now for my pregnancy is eat healthy and stay positive! We are growing little people and we should be proud of our bodies! Good luck to all of you ladies!
I am sorry that everyone has gone threw these tough times. I am 24 and I weigh 312 I am 5’7 well I was but the weight has made me be 5’6 1/2 or something… the last time I checked. Found out I am pregnant April 10, 2010 at 300 lbs… I have a three year old son and I was over weight when I got pregnant with him, 260 and kept going up! I looked at my photos and had a lot of water. I lost 30 lbs right after I had him. I am very active I play softball in the summer and work-out everyday at the gym. I don’t have a eating habit I guess I need to push harder to sweat!! I also have asthma, scary part my son pushed up on my lungs and it made breathing hard and had to get on my Neb machine.
Why I think the weight kept coming I tore my ACL my senior year playing softball and I babied it so I didn’t play sports for a year. I am really scared this around.
Hi. Finding this has made me feel a lot better. Your pictures look just like if I would take pictures of myself..Makes me feel comfortable knowing a lot of us don’t show as much as other women do. I am 22 weeks pregnant and show a little bump…but everyone who see’s me says: Where’s your belly? And I always feel the need to explain that it’s normal cause I’m not thin. Thanx for sharing this with us!
Hi,
Thanks for posting your story and pictures! I am overweight and have just found out im pregnant. I already have 1 daughter and was so scared I would look really fat further on in my pregnancy. I now feel so much better after reading your thread. Thanks so much for sharing your story :)
i feel the same way when i see cute pregnant thin girls, but i just think of my baby an figure hes prolly a heck of alot safer an more comfortable than if i was stick thin!! rock on girlfriend!!
I just had my first appointment with an RE. After 3 rounds of Clomid I’m still not ovulating so my OBGYN referred me to the RE. He said that I’m too overweight to get pregnant. I’m 27, 5’7 and 272 today. He told me he wouldn’t even help me until I lost 50 lbs and got down to at least 220. While I know I need to lose weight, I feel so bummed out. Its so inspiring to read the stories of all of you lovely ladies. It fills me with hope. I’d love to hear from any other ladies who had trouble conceiving and are/were overweight. I’m definitely looking for some wisdom and advice such as should I continue trying to lose weight, but also look for another doctor. Thanks for any help. stwboswell@yahoo.com
This is sooo Amazing! Steph I know how you feel Me and My husband have been trying for 5.5 years and I too am overweight 285lbs. And My doctor has told me to get the weight off before I even concider children. He told me I was so heavy that I didn’t ovulate. Well I am a Medical Assistant and I have always been told if you have a period you DO ovulate. Anyone else have these problems? You know you do all these things that COULD help get you pregnant and NOTHING it is really sad. And it really upsets me to hear about a woman,she will sleep with a man and get pregnant and either abort the baby or Give it up! It is soo not fair! These stories are truely amazing. I need someones help oh what to really do, Why is it soo hard for us to get pregnant?! Well ladies if you have any words of wisdom I would love to hear them. Email me and jennyparrish815@bellsouth.net
Jenny, a period does not mean you have ovulated. I highly recccomend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility- it will hepl you understand your body so much better and will give you the tools to know for sure if you are ovulating or not.
you have nothing to be ashamed of. you are carrying a child. what a blessing. now i dont feel alone. i am 5’2″ and i have always been overweight. but i gained so much more weight during my 1st year of marriage then i got pregnant before i could lose the weight. i was 225 and by my 9th month i weighed 285. i was carrying twins. i couldnt believe i could be so big. but what felt the worst was that i didn’t look pregnant. i felt helpless and alone being so fat. but now i dont feel that way anymore. what a blessing it is to give birth to twins though the labor was not easy with the extra weight.
Thank you all for sharing ur stories, and thank you for placing ur pictures and starting a topic that noone else did. It’s really helpful and self boosting to know that others have feelings same as urs. I’m an overweight 26y mom to an 11 months old baby girl and now 17 weeks pregnant at 247 lbs. I wish we can have more websites for overweight expecting women, so we can always find answers and understanding people to share feelings with. It’s always better to know that u’r not alone.
I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am considered obese at app. 270 lbs. and 5 foot 5. My husband and I are planning on IVF soon. I have been crazy thinking if this is the wrong decision being this overweight to begin with. But these pictures and stories have put me at ease. Thank you ladies for sharing :)
i am really glad i found a website for big pregnant women like myself. i always suffered for being overweight. when i got married i weighed 180. then i gradually added on the pounds and i reached my highest weight of 225. i could not believe the scale. my husband and family believe i was preggo. took many tests. all negative. then i missed my period my belly was getting more swollen and i was shocked i am preggo. i wanted to lose the extra pounds but i just gained and looked so fat. but i realized that this is such a blessing. i am in my ninth month looking as big as a house. My weight is at a whooping 293. and i am showing.
Thank you for posting this. You are an inspiration to others. I am a Nurse. I am also 6 weeks pregnant. I have Hoshimoto’s and Hypothyroidism. These problems make it difficult for me to NOT miscarry. I have lost two already, so we are praying that this one goes smoothly, and so far it has. I am 5’8″ and weigh 225.
For those of you who are Trying to conceive, you need to visit the site http://www.twoweekwait.com. I learned SO much from there about basil body temperature tracking and Ovulation predictor kits and a lot of different things to make you ovulate, or help with conception. It is also an excellent community of women to talk to and vent when doctors/spouses/partners are sick of listening :) I became SO much more aware of my body because of this site.
For those of you that have doctors that claim that because you are overweight you are automatically high risk and must have c-sections, or gain a lot of weight, you need to switch. Your doctor is not there to lecture. Only educate. If you don’t feel comfortable with them, then change.
It is not about the pounds, it is about health. Put healthy foods into your diet, and start walking 30 minutes a day at least four times a week. The “gestational Diabetes” diet is good for ANY pregnant person. It will help keep your diet on track and allow you to develop more healthy eating habits.
As far as not looking “cute”, I understand…its something all of us will have to deal with. You know what though? I know a LOT of skinny girls who EAT AND EAT AND EAT just to “look” pregnant quicker. Guess what? They gain WAY too much weight. SO, it works both ways. Pregnancy is a MAJOR change to our bodies. It is not an excuse to eat for two. My doctor reccommended 100 extra calories the first trimester, 300 the second, and 300 the third.
My husband and I just started trying to conceive. I am so excited, but however, my excitement has been put on hold by thoughtless family members telling me how “huge” I will be and how much weight I will gain when I get pregnant. I am 5’3 and 185 now. I found your website and keep going to it to remind myself that I will be beautiful, just like you, when I do conceive. Thank you for posting real pictures of a real beautiful woman.
thankyou so much for putting my mind at ease im 27 years old pregnant with my 1st child weighing 115 kilos andi too am not showing
by the way i think your body is beautiful ad there is nothing to feel ashamed about we all come in all different sizes shapes and colours
I wonder how you and your baby are doing now? Please update us!
I’ve struggled so long with my weight and image. I was born big and no one has let me forget it ever since. Seeing your pictures and reading all the posts brought realization to me that I AM normal which is all I ever wanted to be.
I’m 37, 5’9, 256 lbs. Highest weight was 292 2 years ago. The dr. told me to get down to 250 for a safer pregnancy. I did but only by unhealthy means.
We’ve tried to get pregnant for over a year. Found out I was infertile my whole life. Now, we’re on the fertility circuit and I feel the clock clicking down. It will happen only by God’s grace and His blessing upon our marriage.
Thank you for your bravery. You have inspired me.
Thank God for this blog! I am about to be 39 and weigh 282 lbs. My husband and I adopted 3 awesome children they are now 18,17&15. After doing several rounds of clomid had a beautiful little girl, now 7yrs old. I just took 2 preg. test and sure enough + on both. Called my dr and because of my PCOS they want to see me in the morning. While I have great faith, I am a little worried about the affects of my age and weight.
HI ladies. I am 36 and my husband and I were TTC for 2 years. I did all the ovulation calendars, tests, ate right, etc. all of that stuff and nothing happened. I started thinking it was my weight. I get migraines really bad and usually got them right before my period. I did some research and although I was “regular” every 28 days on the nose, I was still having hormone surges which is what was causing my headaches. I have no insurance so I couldnt see a Dr. so online I found this herb called Vitex. I read all the testimonials of these women who were TTC for years and they took this herb for a couple of months and got pregnant. I thought, yeah right, ok! ALmost all the women said that they had irregular periods and issues ovulating and the product was not recommended for “regular” periods. Well, I thought maybe if nothing else, I can even out my migraines and it was cheap, so I got a bottle of it. First month, no migraines. Second month, I got pregnant! I couldnt even believe it. I am the biggest skeptic in the world. It may be a coincidence, but that Vitex did make a difference with my headaches, so I KNOW it did SOMETHING to my hormones. I am now 6 weeks and am hoping all will go well. I am overweight and 36 years old and this is my first, so I’m cautiously optimistic. Good luck to you all!
thank you so much for you have reasured me that im not the only one, i am 19 weeks now and iv recently seen a consultant at my hospital who made me feel ashamed of being heavy, the things she said to me made me cry, she told me im making my baby suffer because im overweight, and that i will not be able to have a natural birth as my baby will be in distress this petrifid me as its my first iv asked my midwife and she has resured me that it is not the case and as long as i keep healthy all should be fine. its so nice to see other big ladies in the same boat as me,the way i see it we are pregnant we was healthy enough to fall pregnant so why not go the whole way :) im proud of my little miracal that is growin side me regardless of my weight,i dnt believe being large stops us from having babies or will affect us in any way.
thank u to everyone i feel so much better findin this, good luck to you all and god bless xxx
Hey my name is Heather, I am 300lbs and 5’1, I have tried for almost 5 years to get pregnant and can’t, and like many of your doctors they told me I could not get pregnant unless I lost the weight and that was the reason we haven’t concieved, is there anything I can do? Please help! By the way, you are beautiful and very blessed, I pray God blesses me with too, and that you and your baby are healthy as ever!!
I am with most of you….I’m 23, 320lbs and trying to conceive. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 18, docs said I wouldn’t be able to have children. Then got pregnant at 20, after losing 40 lbs ( was down to 242) ended the pregnancy at 292 lbs to a beautiful healthy boy. We’ve been trying again now for 2 years, and in the process I’ve gained so much weight. Anyone in a similar situation and want to talk? email me crazemmie2@aol.com
HI, I am I think around 250 pounds. I have 2 beautifulo children already and we started trying for another. This will be a seconed c section. Does anyone know if it’s any different the seconed time around? And also, sily question im sure but will ask anyhow, If Im already at 250 will I look rego at all or just look like im seriously in need of a diet? Thanks so much.
mykidzrmylife02@yahoo.com